Sirkeci Station and the Orient Express

Sirkeci Station and the Orient Express

Michael Powell

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4

May 28, 2013

Favored by the kings, statesmen and spies of Europe’s tumultuous 20th century, the Orient Express is almost definitely the most famous line in the history of trains. It linked the capitals of Western Europe to the Ottoman Empire, with a terminal stop in Istanbul’s magnificent Sirkeci Station.

Today, Sirkeci Station retains only a fraction of its former glory. Built by a Prussian in the “European Orientalist” style, the building is beautiful, but has an atmosphere of decrepitude. It’s old and dusty; a forgotten relic. The room where the upper crust of European society once waited on their departures, is now the hang-out of a rough-looking group of unemployed men. The former office of the Orient Express has been converted into a drab museum dedicated to the line’s glory days. And the main entry hall of the station is today used as a stage for touristy whirling-dervish performances.

Things weren’t always so dreary. When it debuted in 1883, the Orient Express was an instant hit. The Ottoman Empire had long been fashionable across Europe, and now there was a luxurious means of visiting it. With a route cutting through so many different countries, the train was a natural breeding ground for intrigue. Famous spies such as Robert Baden Powell and Mata Hari were among the passengers on board. And in 1929, there was a murder aboard the train while it was stopped by a snow storm; an event which inspired Agatha Christie’s most famous book.

The museum is rather drab, and the experience of visiting Sirkeci is akin to walking around a graveyard. But we still enjoyed being there. We’d just watched the movie based of Christie’s novel (the 1974 version starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot), and it was fun to be in a place of such historical importance. This is where Western visitors were first introduced to the Ottomans; in its heyday, it must have been quite a sight.

It’s a shame that the Golden Age of rail travel is over. Were it still an option, I might prefer the slower trip by train, rather than plane. Squishing into the middle seat of a low-cost flight to Paris has none of the glamour of strolling onto the Orient Express. And choking down airline food while being elbow-jabbed by the fat Polish guy next to me is decidedly less romantic than a taking a seat in the restaurant car across from the erudite and charming Polish count whom the CIA has tasked me with seducing. Sigh. I guess was born a couple of generations too late!

Sirkeci Station and the Orient ExpressFavored by the kings, statesmen and spies of Europe's tumultuous 20th century, the Orient Express is almost definitely the most famous line in the history of trains. It linked the capitals of Western Europe to the Ottoman Empire, with a terminal stop in Istanbul's magnificent Sirkeci Station.

Michael Powell

For 91 Days

4 Comments

The last two lines crack me up; Yes, such a task imposed by the CIA would have significantly more appealing. Have you let them know what you preferred by way of intrigue targets? I love the photos of the ceilings because the framing of the beams and other architectural elements lends an air of Victorian civility to the room. Pretty awesome, guys!

chacha 🙂 I am Polish, also wished the orient express times were still on and I was representing the gentle class. The ordinary people could not even dream of affording the orient express trip, I suppose, so it couldn’t be compared to the low cost air line, even business class would be cheaper than the Orient express used to be, I am afraid.

The previous commentary was ever so slightly unfair. To the gentleman’s point; the days of the Orient Express are over, at least for now.Having been to Sirkeci Station a few times in my travels, there are still some merits to spending time there and reminiscing about the golden age of travel.Have a cup of tea in the restaurant and just relax and enjoy the ambiance.Perhaps you will smile and reflect on some of the pleasantries of life and leisure.There are also some very lovely people who are employed at Sirkeci Station.Happy travels to all!

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We're Jürgen and Mike, from Germany and the USA. Born wanderers, we love learning about new cultures and have decided to see the world... slowly. Always being tourists might get lame, but eternal newcomers? We can live with that. So, our plan is to move to an interesting new city, once every three months. About 91 days. Read More

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